Posts by rustymason82

In that case, please go ahead and issue a Ban on my account for the next gastronomy 6 months. Thank you.

Dear Forum Administration,
I am kindly requesting a ban, or perhaps some similar restriction, because I am struggling to manage this on my own. I have never had to make a request like this before, but I really need to be unable to post on Gastronomy for 6 months.
I have already attempted to stop posting on my own, but I know I will be back in just a few days😁.
At this moment in my life, I truly need this—I need to be barred from Gastronomy for 6 months so I can avoid further frustration. Between everything else going on, I am dealing with far too much stress without the added agitation from this subforum. If possible, could I still be allowed to read the posts, provided I cannot write?

Please forgive me if I am not following the exact protocol for such a request, and thank you for your help in resolving this matter for me.

It’s actually both, but more importantly, it's the reason your asthma has flared up lately.
Switching back to a Fentanyl patch won't do you any harm; wouldn't it be better if you finally felt some relief?

Please get to your primary care physician immediately. If there is pus, you absolutely need antibiotics; it won't clear up on its own without them.
Some strange specialist who failed to notice a wound that's clearly festering.

Don't take any chances—go to your doctor or head straight to the ER. An infected wound is a serious matter.

Just thought I’d share this here 😁 , because maybe my experience might actually help someone out. Of course, Arthryl isn't some kind of magic cure. I recently had knee arthroscopy surgery to remove a crushed portion of my medial meniscus. My orthopedic surgeon mentioned that, aside from that specific tear, the rest of my knee was in "pretty good shape." So, following the procedure, I decided to start taking Arthryl again for about three or four months. Could it be that the body works to compensate for the missing meniscus by forming similar tissue? Perhaps it might help...

Larry Scott43 said:So, your internist in Savannah was actually quite skilled if he decided the tumor hadn't metastasized and ruled out surgery for the appendix.

That's not quite right.😁
The appendix was already removed back in Hamburg
And as for his claim that the intestinal tumor hadn't spread? He reached that conclusion by reading tea leaves—or coffee grounds, or some other nonsense—rather than through actual medical testing.
That doctor was known for giving top-tier care to people with high-end insurance, whereas I was just a broke eighteen-year-old kid he didn't feel was worth his time.

Ryan Perez said:Furthermore, just imagine the scandal that would erupt here if doctors decided to stop treating cancer patients simply because of their age.

What am I supposed to reflect on? An internist at the hospital in Savannah told me I was perfectly healthy—that they wouldn't even bother looking at my appendix—and refused to follow up on the fifteen tests recommended in my discharge papers from the clinic in Hamburg.
So, to clarify: they removed an appendix containing a tumor in Hamburg, yet back in Savannah, the internist refused to run the scans needed to rule out metastasis. It happened nineteen years ago, and I was lucky enough that it wasn't the case.

Ryan Perez said:Essentially, you just articulated exactly what I was subtly hinting at. When you're young and productive, all that massive machinery and wealth held by Germany really starts to show its strength.

When you're older, they start calculating. Why waste resources on someone who's nearing the end?

Since my employer in Hamburg didn't officially register me—which I wasn't even aware of—they ended up checking me into the hospital as a relative, basically treating me like a tourist. In a way, they were wasting resources on someone who was just passing through.

On the other hand, my mother recently suffered a stroke, and I can tell you firsthand—it all comes down to which doctor you get or which nurse is on duty. There is simply no consistency in our healthcare system.
If I hadn't been there these past few weeks tending to her wound, which struggles to heal because of her diabetes, I don't know what would have happened... the nurse in the clinic just doesn't have the time to give it proper attention; she just patches it up quickly and moves on.

There was an elderly man with dementia in my room in Hamburg who spent the entire night ringing the call button and getting out of bed. You wouldn't believe the effort the nurse put in, returning him to bed every single time without ever raising her voice once. Back home, she probably would have lost her temper, likely restrained him, or just given him something to knock him out for twenty-four hours.

It’s my first time hearing that a home health nurse actually handles bathing or washing a patient. In my experience, they usually just check blood pressure and glucose levels, maybe dress a wound, and then sit down for a cup of coffee to chat with the patient—which, honestly, means the world to those seniors.

Back in 2001, I had an appendectomy in Hamburg. The medical staff there was just so much kinder than what we see here in the States. They actually found a carcinoid tumor in my appendix. They suggested about twenty different tests to make sure nothing had metastasized... But when I went to get a gastroscopy done in Savannah, the doctor practically kicked me out of the office, saying, "You're healthy; do you really think I'm going to go poking around in your appendix?" I didn't follow up with any other tests after that, but hey, here I am twenty years later, still alive—I guess I just got lucky.
But based on what I saw back then, our healthcare system is lagging far behind the German one.

I’ve been using Alvesco for years now. Before that, I was on Seretide, but once my condition improved, I made the switch to Alvesco. As for Ventolin? I rarely, very rarely, find myself needing it.
Alternatively, I don't use anything at all.

Has anyone here actually tried Arthryl? It’s a glucosamine powder solution designed to help rebuild knee cartilage. Apparently, this specific formulation is proven to work, and unlike most other brands, it’s actually classified as a medication rather than just a supplement.

I used to take a different brand of glucosamine, but my doctor told me I was essentially throwing money down the drain. She recommended switching to Arthryl instead. I’ve been on it for three months now, and honestly, I haven't noticed any reduction in my knee pain yet. That said, isn't it true that you need to stay on it much longer—maybe a year or even up to three years—to see results?
(Also, if anyone can recommend a solid private orthopedic surgeon, please let me know. The specialists at the local municipal hospital are all retirees working part-time, and it feels like you only get real attention there if you show up in a wheelchair.)

Rachel Jones8 said:It’s happening everywhere, not just there.
It was even explicitly stated that the sub-forum was strictly for landlords and everyone else should stay quiet.
But then the exact same thing happened in the pets section... where the moderator kept insisting that if you don't own a dog, you shouldn't be posting. And the same goes for the housing thread about rentals—supposedly only people who aren't renting or renting out apartments should be talking.
You could practically get banned just for saying "today is Thursday" when you were actually supposed to say "tomorrow is Friday."
In the parenting section, one of the mods was handing out bans left and right whenever someone dared to disagree with his personal views.
Things are definitely better in the tourism section now.
I'm with you that the food section is fine, but... honestly, I've grown to hate posting in those threads because of that one moderator you praised. He deleted one of my posts and used some really nasty insults against me as the reason. To make matters worse, he wouldn't even let the post stay visible so that I—or anyone else—could see what was supposedly so terrible about it.

No one is ever going to please everyone, right? 😁 It’s just like being at work; if you're the boss and you try to be fair and decent, there will always be someone out there looking for a reason to hate you.

Rachel Jones8 said:My version of self-censorship is basically just making sure I follow the Reddit rules to a T—trying to be polite, respectful, and not offend anyone, you know?
But honestly, I still keep getting flagged. And I don't even get why. From where I'm sitting, it feels like people just can't handle a new face on a thread... so they slap a few warnings on you just to push you out, even if you haven't done anything wrong.
The "inner circle" just wants to stay in their own little bubble. If someone new shows up with a slightly different perspective—even if they're following all the rules and being totally chill—they get booted.
It’s happened to me in several different subreddits; the old-timers basically team up with the moderators to kick you off the thread.
And look, this isn't even about heavy stuff like politics, religion, or crazy conspiracy theories... it's not even one of those heated debates where everyone is yelling because nobody actually knows what they're talking about.
It’s about the "trivial" everyday stuff. Like, if you say, "Hey, I really don't like it when random dogs lick me or leave hair on my clothes," suddenly everyone jumps down your throat. They claim you hate animals or whatever, and then boom—you get a warning. Meanwhile, they’ll spend hours debating which lint roller is best or how to scrub hair off a sofa, but the second you set a boundary, they act like you're the villain.
If anyone outside the "clique" complains about anything, they get shut down, and usually with a strike right after.
Same thing with fireworks. Even if you're saying, "Man, I feel bad for the dogs, these things are awful and scary for all of us," but then you mention that they're legally allowed from date X to date Y... they immediately attack you, acting like you're actually rooting for people to scare pets.
Basically, they twist everything you say and accuse you of things you never even mentioned. Once you realize they just don't want you there, you see that nothing you write will ever be okay.
At that point, you just walk away. Even though it would actually be useful for them to hear different perspectives, they just refuse to listen.
So they drive people away. It's the same story everywhere else, too.
And it’s not great. People just can't handle someone expressing a simple opinion or an impression, as long as they aren't trying to prove some impossible theory.
You have an opinion, and I shouldn't have to defend it. If something bothers me, it bothers me. Why is it so hard to respect that without feeling personally attacked? If I don't want your dog sniffing or licking me, is that really such a big deal?
Does that seriously mean I hate dogs, or animals in general, or people who own pets? That's how they make it seem. They pin all these false labels on you until you just lose the desire to have a decent conversation, share a suggestion, or offer some constructive criticism.🕺

That happened in the Tourism thread, and both you and I experienced it firsthand. Thankfully, since the moderators changed, that isn't an issue anymore; the new moderators on the Tourism thread are absolute legends.

Regarding what you're saying, it’s highly likely that those allergies are acting as a trigger, worsening your asthma. Isn't it common for people with asthma to find their symptoms flare up whenever allergies strike?

However, I find it quite strange that you were only prescribed Ventolin and Rhinocort. When dealing with allergies, shouldn't you also be taking tablets, such as antihistamines like Daselt, Rhinocort, or Telfast?
Without those pills, aren't you just going to suffer through this until the allergy season passes? If I were in your shoes, I would definitely schedule another visit to the doctor.

Justin Newman38 said:Question: Should I dilute the solution right before use, or does a diluted mixture stay effective after 7 or 15 days?

Thanks.

.

At my job, we use a Lysol solution to disinfect our workstations.
I remember the sanitation supervisor emphasizing that we should mix a fresh batch every single day, and he even insisted on assigning one specific person to be responsible for the mixing process...
So, if you have the choice, isn't it better to just make a fresh batch whenever possible?

Betty Bennett70 said:So, I actually ended up calling the emergency room, only to have my wife try to patronize me over the phone, insisting that what I was feeling wasn't even real and that I definitely didn't have COVID—even though I hadn't even mentioned a suspicion of the virus in the first place!

When I explicitly told them that I was struggling to catch my breath and felt like I had to take these massive, deep gulps of air just to get my lungs to feel full, all I got in response was a dismissive, "Well, that’s what breathing is for."

In reality, the whole reason I called was simply to inquire about the current admission procedures at the ER now that everyone is panicking over COVID; honestly, I would have driven myself down to the hospital without any trouble at all if I had known what to expect.

It really makes me wonder why I bother paying into health insurance when I can't even get a decent, professional answer over the phone once in every thirty years.

Thankfully, my condition seemed to resolve itself entirely after just a few days, so perhaps it was just the poor air quality in New York City that was bothering me.

It’s possible the smog was bothering you, but I’d suggest that once this whole COVID craze settles down, you should ask your doctor for a spirometry test and a referral to a Pulmonologist. If the air quality is affecting you that much, could it be undiagnosed Asthma?

Nicholas Davis4 said:Plethysmography for asthma?
I actually had that done for Raynaud. No one even bothered to ask about my height or weight.

Yes, they usually perform plethysmography alongside spirometry.
They really ought to ask for your weight and height before running either test, shouldn't they? After all, the computer relies on those metrics to calculate your predicted values for both the spirometry and the plethysmography.
From what I understand, they look most closely at the Rtot during plethysmography. If that value is elevated, it might indicate some minor inflammation in the lungs due to asthma, which helps them decide if your therapy needs adjusting.

Gerald King97 said:Thanks for the info. 🙂, do they measure your height and weight?

They'll need those measurements if they're performing plethysmography alongside the spirometry (it’s similar to spirometry, but it calculates what your lung capacity should be based on your specific height and weight)
Don't worry too much; the pulmonologist will let you know if you need to lose some weight for the sake of your heart, lungs, and spine. My doctor asks about my weight at every single checkup, though he does it in a polite, professional manner. It really just depends on which doctor you end up seeing.

Gerald King97 said:Can someone walk me through what the first appointment with a pulmonologist at a hospital actually looks like? I'm dealing with asthma, bronchitis, and allergies.

So, you arrive, and the doctor sits down to have a conversation with you, listens to your lungs, and then almost certainly sends you straight to spirometry. If it’s your first visit, they'll likely have you get a chest X-ray as well—usually right then and there on the same day. After that, you head back to see them, and they decide on the next steps. Of course, what happens next depends entirely on the results, but I assume they'll want to run some allergy testing before finally deciding on your treatment plan...

Thanks so much, velvetmoose9 👍

You really should make sure you aren't putting all that weight on one leg while standing.
Luckily, I don't spend much time just standing still; I’m constantly on the move, darting from the prep station to the grill, then over to the oven, and back to the prep area again...
Though, I have noticed that I wear out the right side of my shoe much faster than the left—right near the toe base toward the heel. It clearly has something to do with my gait...

It honestly feels like the glucosamine sulfate is working, since the pain has subsided. Is it truly the supplement making the difference, or is my brain simply getting better at filtering out the discomfort? Who can say? 🤔